‘The Walking Dead’ Episode 5.1 “No Sanctuary” (9 out of 10) Created by Frank Darabont; Starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Chandler Riggs, Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohan; Sundays on AMC.
I’ve heard a lot of criticism leveled against “The Walking Dead” over the course of the last two seasons. Some say that it’s lost its way, others have said that it’s inconsistent.
I really hope those folks were watching tonight.
There are some blood-soaked and aggressive spoilers ahead.
A Pre-Credits Bloodbath
Before the opening credits even roll, we get a few scenes that slap us around, reminding us that one of cable’s most beautifully visceral programs is back to get us ready for the long, dark winter ahead. Preceded by an ominous flashback that showed the Terminus that was—more on that later—we see Rick and Co. turning the clothes on their backs into weapons. It feels like a nod to the fact that these guys aren’t just fearful survivors hoping that the next day will be kinder anymore. Even locked in a train car, Rick and his buddies are extremely dangerous—which is why the folks at Terminus choose to knock them out with gas instead of opening the door. When Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Glenn (Stephen Yeun), Daryl (Norman Reedus), and Bob (Lawrence Gilliard, Jr.) come to, they’ve been tied up and positioned in front of a trough, and it doesn’t take long for a narrative to take shape. When we see the three random dudes lined up next to them and the bald guy in a plastic apron sharpening his best throat-cutting knife, we know there’s going to be some butchery. Not only does this scene build some fantastic tension—again, this all happens before the opening credits—but it shows us the terrible truth behind the Terminus folks.
Carol and Tyreese
With all the craziness of Terminus pressing down upon Rick and crew, it’s hard to remember that Carol (Melissa McBride), Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), and Judith are still on their own. When they stumble upon a Terminus soldier who was saying some unfriendly things about Michonne (Danai Gurira) and Carl (Chandler Riggs), they use him to figure out what their friends are up against.
This subplot reveals a buried conflict within Tyreese—he’s not feeling up to getting his hands dirty in the zombie-infested world just yet. Carol, on the other hand, employs the zombie-guts strategy and blows a hole in Terminus’s defenses with some sharpshooting and a well-aimed bottle rocket. She clearly hasn’t lost her touch. The exploration of Tyreese’s character in these few scenes was great. After a philosophical discussion with his prisoner ends with Judith’s life in danger, Tyreese gets his edge back and beats their prisoner to death with his bare hands. Crisis averted. Though tonight’s episode was heavy on the carnage, it’s good to see that the showrunners haven’t lost their knack for character development.
Attack on Terminus
After Carol creates a perfect diversion, Rick and his posse get free and tear the place up. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen Rick as such a maniac. He’s stabbing faces, machine-gunning Terminus dudes from behind—he’s becoming the Rick Grimes that shows up in volumes 17-21 of the graphic novels; the man who figures out the alchemy that exists among him and his friends and their ability to stand against unbeatable odds. While he is leading a charge on Terminus, Carol’s infiltration reveals some of the history behind the compound. According to Mary (Denise Crosby), Terminus used to be peaceful—until it was overrun by some savages. She claims that in order to survive, they had to adopt the philosophy that “You’re either the cattle or the butcher.” It’s this philosophy that warped the people of Terminus into a kind of subhuman class—people that were calm, cool, and organized while they sliced throats and devoured their victims. Carol responds to this news by feeding her to a pack of the undead—a wise move, all things considered.
Once Rick frees his compatriots, Terminus doesn’t last long. Between Rick’s group shooting up the place, Carol blowing a hole right through it, and a herd of zombies pouring in, there wasn’t much left. It’s here that I want to criticize the show for making short—albeit dramatically violent—work of a location that seemed to be the focal point of season four. As I got thinking about it, however, if the show spent too much time on Rick’s escape from Terminus, all we’d really have is another Woodbury situation. It’s tough to criticize a show for decimating a seemingly important location when it’s been known to execute main characters without warning. That’s the nature of the show, folks.
Reunions!
After everyone escapes Terminus, there are some truly great reunion scenes. When Daryl first spots Carol coming out of the woods and when Rick and Carl see Judith in the protective arms of Tyreese, it was tough not to get a little misty. That was one whole season that Rick and Carl went without knowing that Lil’ Asskicker was still ass-kicking. And the moment when Rick realizes that Carol basically saved them all was perfect. As the newly restored group of survivors takes to the tracks to follow Eugene’s (Josh McDermitt) lead, it brought back that feeling of solidarity that I missed last season.
Verdict
Tonight’s episode threw a big, ol’ gauntlet down on the floor. It ramped the gore level up to an astoundingly high level, and we saw our beloved group of survivors come back together and celebrate how awesome they are at killing stuff. With the Terminus story no longer the focus, I’m wondering which loose end they’ll tie up first: Eugene’s zombie cure or Beth’s (Emily Kinney) disappearance. Oh, and let’s not forget that memorable scene at the end when our man Morgan (Lennie James) shows up to see Rick’s warning about Terminus on the train tracks. Man, I’m glad this show back on the air.